Megaupload, the popular file-sharing site, was shuttered Thursday and its executives indicted by the Justice Department in what the authorities said was “among the largest criminal copyright cases ever brought by the United States.”

Seven individuals connected to the Hong Kong-based site were indicted on a variety of charges, including criminal copyright infringement and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Four of the members of what the authorities called a “racketeering conspiracy” were arrested Thursday in Auckland, New Zealand, the authorities said.

One of those arrested was Kim Schmitz, aka Kim Dotcom, Megaupload’s founder. His attorney, Ira Rothken of California, said neither he nor his 37-year-old client, who resides in Hong Kong and New Zealand, was given the opportunity to surrender. Schmitz was arrested without notice, he said.

“We’re looking into what’s going on,” Rothken said in a telephone interview.

Visitors to the Megaupload site, which gets about 50 million hits daily, were greeted with a message from the Justice Department. ”This domain name associated with the website Megaupload.com has been seized pursuant to an order issued by a U.S. District Court.”

The government said the site facilitated copyright infringement of movies “often before their theatrical release, music, television programs, electronic books, and business and entertainment software on a massive scale.” The government said Megaupload’s “estimated harm” to copyright holders was “well in excess of $500 million.”

I am in Malaysia and has no idea about this sopa pipa thing... Man I just signed up (yesterday as of this writing) a six months account subscription with megaupload, then today their service is halted. wtf!

One takeaway from this should be that none of those arrested were US citizens or were on US soil. Seizing equipment is one thing, but now we all live under US law, such as it is. (That "now" should read "we have for some time now", but it's a prime example.) Say thank you to your respective governments, everyone!

Aside from whatever one might think about SOPA/PIPA, isn't this an indication that SOPA/PIPA isn't necessary? Apparently they can already do the kinds of enforcement actions that I thought were the reason for SOPA/PIPA bring introduced.

Aside from whatever one might think about SOPA/PIPA, isn't this an indication that SOPA/PIPA isn't necessary? Apparently they can already do the kinds of enforcement actions that I thought were the reason for SOPA/PIPA bring introduced.

Totally, but if (if!) we accept that copyright infringement is theft, then neither is DMCA and other copyright enforcement laws. The very proliferation of these laws - the legislative shock and awe, legal terror, if you will - is a strong indication the MPAAs and RIAAs of this world realize they have an increasingly weak standing. (And there's also ACTA!)

I'm afraid it's going to get much worse before it gets any better. Not just on the copyright front.

Sounds like a good start. I'm all in favor of a scorched earth response from the masses.

Assuming, of course, that it really was anonymous and not a staged bit of sponsored legerdemain designed to hammer home to all the regular citizens (who may be asking thorny questions about SOPA/PIPA by now) just how much danger we're really in.

At this stage of the game, I don't put anything past 'the industry' - or their paid government lapdogs. (Just like how the terrorist threat level always seemed to suddenly go up to 'amber' any time public opposition to The Patriot Act started heating up.)

And considering the timing of all of this? Yeah right! As wraith808 already observed.

I'm afraid it's going to get much worse before it gets any better. Not just on the copyright front.

I feel it's best that I don't go into what I really think...as I fear I may end up making Renegade look tame. So I will simply suffice with saying, the prospects are indeed horrifying.

Hahahah~!

That sounds like a challenge~!

Well, to be clear, I can't say what I really think either. I think we're very much on the same page there. We are limited in what we can say because we're not really in a free society. We have that illusion, but it's just that - an illusion. It would be reckless and irresponsible to say what we really think. (I'm willing to talk to anyone about it in person over beer though. The more I drink, well, I either become more honest or I get tangentially silly. )

The entire "piracy" stuff in those bills are just distractions. They are NOT about piracy.They are about establishing legislation to be used to silence dissent. To be clear... They are totalitarian pieces of legislation for use by an oppressive police state.

American authorities helped issue arrests on Thursday for four people in New Zealand that they say are responsible for the website.

Ahem... Since when do "American authorities" have jurisdiction in New Zealand?

Does anyone get where this is going? Global police? Police state? Police planet?

That was where I was going next. All of these arrests were not made in America. Which makes the timing doubly suspicious as that type of thing takes coordination. What makes it worse is actually this line...

Quote

The agency said it executed more than 20 search warrants in the United States and eight countries...

American authorities helped issue arrests on Thursday for four people in New Zealand that they say are responsible for the website.

Ahem... Since when do "American authorities" have jurisdiction in New Zealand?

Does anyone get where this is going? Global police? Police state? Police planet?

That was where I was going next. All of these arrests were not made in America. Which makes the timing doubly suspicious as that type of thing takes coordination. What makes it worse is actually this line...

Quote

The agency said it executed more than 20 search warrants in the United States and eight countries...

My sources tell me the timing of the Megaupload arrests was no accident. The federal government, they say, was spoiling for a fight after the apparent defeat of SOPA/PIPA and not a little humiliation at the hands of the Web. And what better way to bolster the cause for cyber-crackdown than by pointing to a massive display of cyber-terrorism at the hands of everyone's favorite Internet boogeyman: Anonymous?

If the SOPA/PIPA protests were the Web's moment of inspiring, non-violent, hand-holding civil disobedience, #OpMegaUpload feels like the unsettling wave of car-burning hooligans that sweep in and incite the riot portion of the play. The result is always riot gear, tear gas, arrests, injury, and a sea of knee-jerk policies, laws, and reactions that address the destructive actions of a few, and not the good intentions of the many.

I don't truly know whether Anonymous was cleverly goaded into #OpMegaUpload. But I do know that an attack this big on this many government sites will effectively erase those good Internet vibrations that were rattling around Capitol Hill this week and harden the perspective of legislators and law enforcement who want to believe that the Web community is made up of wild, law-breaking pirates. That, ultimately, may help strengthen the business--and the emotional--case for the pro-SOPA, pro-PIPA lobby. Did the feds just get the last lulz?

If you think the people behind the Patriot Act, DHS, and Gitmo will let this stand? You're insane.

+1

Absolutely!

They will not stop until they get their way. We're heading full steam into a prison constructed by twisted control freaks -- they're building it around us while we sleep. The recent protest was nothing more than the growl and snap of a sleeping dog reacting to a nightmare.

They will ram their police state legislation down our throats, and if they fail there, they'll ram it up our asses.

This is one of the few sites with NSFW hiding buttons. I like that. Are users (Not mods) putting those on their posts and how do you do it?

Y'all are right that there's the Bluenose theme quietly silencing the far edges of the responses we'd really rather make. It's a really bounded version of the school bully trick "I'll bully you because I know the teachers won't care / be around every time, then when you lose your cool it will be when they conveniently are."

This is one of the few sites with NSFW hiding buttons. I like that. Are users (Not mods) putting those on their posts and how do you do it?

Y'all are right that there's the Bluenose theme quietly silencing the far edges of the responses we'd really rather make. It's a really bounded version of the school bully trick "I'll bully you because I know the teachers won't care / be around every time, then when you lose your cool it will be when they conveniently are."

And re: your metaphor - there's lots of them to help with the ...

In the editor, look at the top for the "SP" button. That's the "spoiler" button.

To get text on it, simply edit the opening tag with an equals sign (=) and your text:

I sometime post things that aren't really very appropriate, and that very often happens after I've finished the first half of a bottle of vodka or something...

So, I try to remember to put some of those in spoilers with a warning as I know some people don't appreciate them. I think most people know that if I put something in a spoiler, then it's highly likely to be offensive to someone. My aim isn't to offend. I do hope that some people know that.

Have a read through some of it. You will undoubtedly find things that you know are false for one reason or another, e.g. the site didn't operate that way, etc. etc.

But, details be damned, because these guys certainly are.

Does anyone actually think that they'll get a fair trial? I certainly don't.

Fun facts:

* 4% of all Internet traffic was with Megadownload

* 25% of corporate traffic is was with Megadownload

* 100% of these guys are going to hang

Have a read through the mainstream media... They've already tarred & feathered MegaDownload. Want to see uber-biased and slanted reporting? Right off the bat they're going for the populist garbage attacks.

...and whoa, the indictment contains details of the "conspiracy members' " (aka Megaupload staff) private conversations and private emails to each other. That's before any boxes were seized or defendants questioned.

...and whoa, the indictment contains details of the "conspiracy members' " (aka Megaupload staff) private conversations and private emails to each other. That's before any boxes were seized or defendants questioned.

All the more reason to have secure email. They're spying on everyone. There have been a few whistle blowers over the years reporting that.

What I'd like to see is a criminal suit filed against the US prosecutor's office for denial of service. hahahahahahaa~!

Ok, that was just silly. It's like asking for war criminals on the winning team to be prosecuted. (That was serious.)

Sounds like a good start. I'm all in favor of a scorched earth response from the masses.

Assuming, of course, that it really was anonymous and not a staged bit of sponsored legerdemain designed to hammer home to all the regular citizens (who may be asking thorny questions about SOPA/PIPA by now) just how much danger we're really in.

At this stage of the game, I don't put anything past 'the industry' - or their paid government lapdogs. (Just like how the terrorist threat level always seemed to suddenly go up to 'amber' any time public opposition to The Patriot Act started heating up.)

And considering the timing of all of this? Yeah right! As wraith808 already observed.

Understood (and quite plausible). I've just always had a rather seething hatred for the silver tonged shadow shit. I detest politics...and politicians. I prefer to keep the fighting in the streets where it (belongs) is honest and fair.